Material Flow Analysis of Shea Butter Production Systems: Implications for Sustainability in Semi-arid Ghana

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) from Savannah landscapes is a popular source of vegetable oil for household and industrial consumption. The fruits are usually collected by women and processed into shea kernels and/or handcrafted shea butter for household consumption and sale in national and international markets. The volume of processed shea butter exported from Ghana has almost doubled from under 20,000 metric tons in 2009 to approximately 40,000 metric tons in 2013. The processing methods and technologies used at the microlevel are characterized by high consumption of water, fuelwood, and labor per unit output of crude shea butter. The level of input consumption and the operations performed by local processors have implications for the sustainability of the production process. Based on field interviews with experts and traders as well as on-site input inventory and measurements of consumption levels, this study analyzed the material demands and opportunities for improving production efficiency, marketing, and the livelihoods of the actors in urban and rural areas along the shea supply chain. The analysis goes beyond the shea value chain and applies material flow analysis to a discussion of simple efficiency scenarios for the most resource-consuming stages in the shea processing chain. Practical options for achieving sustainability through reduced material consumption and maintaining the supply capacity of natural capital are also discussed.